Miss State loses First Four game by inches at the buzzer

Pittsburgh Panthers forward Guillermo Diaz Graham blocks a shot from Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Tolu Smith. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Mississippi State gets perfect look, loses First Four game by inches

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 3/15/23

The Pittsburgh Panthers are moving on to the round of 64 thanks to a thrilling 60-59 win over Mississippi State that featured 21 lead changes.

But it was the lead change that did not happen in the final seconds that is going to get all of the attention, as the Bulldogs were a matter of inches from pulling out a buzzer-beating win.

Trailing by one and with six seconds to play, Mississippi State got the absolute best open look a team could hope for in that situation when Shakeel Moore found himself wide-open in the corner for a potential game-winning three.

It did not go.

Then D.J. Jeffries' putback attempt at the buzzer also did not go.

Have a look.

Got the look they wanted. Pitt hangs on. pic.twitter.com/CXm4BM8pOm
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 15, 2023

Being that close on both shots and having neither one go in is about as close to a win as you can get without actually getting it.

Just before that sequence, Pitt freshman Guillermo Diaz Graham had an emphatic game-saving block.

GAME-SAVING BLOCK FOR @Pitt_MBB! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/b5cbmMRuJI
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 15, 2023

That is all a fitting end to a game that featured more lead changes than any NCAA Tournament game in the past five years.

Pitt will now play No. 6 seed Iowa State in Greensboro on Wednesday. It is important to keep in mind that Pitt was picked to finish in 14th place in the ACC before the season and won more games this campaign than it did in the previous two seasons combined.

More must-reads: